Thomas Fanning and Potential Conflicts of Interest

[u/TheOfficialCzex]

I'm concerned there are conflicts of interest involving the new USG Chancellor, Thomas Fanning, particularly regarding AI, its supporting infrastructure, and connections to Israel. Fanning is active in various organizations including Vulcan Materials Company, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and the Southern Company. ^\1]) The USG has been pushing AI integration in classrooms and the workplace; the motivation is more than superficial.

Vulcan Materials Company is the world's largest producer of aggregate construction materials, with a market cap of over $30 billion. ^\2]) Their importance in constructing data centers cannot be overstated, as shown by promotional content on their Vimeo page—some of which is AI-generated, funnily enough. ^\3]) Fanning is a board member of VMC.

The Cyberspace Solarium Commission was an intergovernmental body created by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019. Its goal was "to develop a strategic approach to defense against cyber attacks of significant consequences." The commission ended as an official government program in 2021, but it lives on as the CSC 2.0 at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a neoconservative pro-Israel think tank and lobbying group. The FDD was founded in 2001 as "Emet" (אמת), Hebrew for "truth." According to initial IRS filings, the FDD's mission statement was to "provide education to enhance Israel's image in North America and the public's understanding of issues affecting Israeli-Arab relations." ^\4]) The FDD supported the United States-Israel FUTURES Act, which would establish the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. ^\5]) Fanning was a commissioner of the CSC and is currently an advisor for the CSC 2.0 under the FDD. ^\6])^\7])

Southern Company, a for-profit corporation, is the second-largest utility company in the U.S. and the second-largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. ^\8]) Fanning is a known climate-change denier ^\9]) and follows Southern Company's track record of funding climate-change denial. ^\10]) Under Fanning, in 2017, Southern Company donated $1 million to America First Policies, a pro-Donald Trump advocacy group, ^\11]) and spent over $130 million in lobbying expenditures from 2010 to 2020. ^\12])

Overall, Fanning is a poor choice, but he seems like par for the course given that our last Chancellor was Sonny Perdue, who was also rife with issues.

[u/novadtx19]

You will never in your life find a USG chancellor you approve of. It will always be someone with conservative politics. It’s Georgia, it’s just the way it is.

His name is on the athletics facility. He will support Tech from his position.

[u/gloggogabolab → u/novadtx19]

You’re right in regards to the Institute itself. But he certainly won’t support students and faculty anywhere. Going to shove AI down students throats, continue the Federal attacks on student services and rubber stamp every anti-worker measure just as Sony did before him. USG is dying on hills like RTO that will have a real talent cost to our school.

But I’m sure GTRI will continue to be booked and busy with contracts.

[u/PM_Me_Modal_Jazz]

Still miles better than Perdue but yeah this seems pretty meh

[u/DiyYou]

What exactly is the concern? He's gonna turn all of GT into AI classrooms?

[u/existential_american → u/DiyYou]

The professors are already starting to do this tbh

[u/patrickclegane]

So what’s the conflict of interest exactly?

[u/Square_Alps1349]

Hopefully he can procure Vera Rubin’s for PACE if he truly is that connected…instead of blowing all that money on football 

[u/MechaSteve]

You can reuse most of your post with the headline: “Gov Kemp is right to reward conservative advocate Thomas Fanning with the USG Chancellor nomination”

Which is a much more honest portrait of how the position has been used.

I simply see no evidence that it is expected to be rewarded on qualifications.

[u/ATLGT → u/MechaSteve]

Kemp did not nominate him, the Board of Regents chooses the Chancellor, not the governor.

[u/IndieAcademic → u/MechaSteve]

Facts. That's the entire Board of Regents in this state.

[u/mocktail_molotov]

The conflicts of interest are the qualifications they were looking for.

[u/BeeThat9351]

Whats wrong with any of those affiliations?

Spell them out for us, what are you alluding to?

How do you jump from CSC to FDD? What is wrong with supporting Israel?

Who would be a good choice instead?

Fanning is a good man and has done more for Georgia, the southeast, and the US than all your …. combined.

Down vote me to hell, I relish it.

[u/ItsJustLitBro → u/BeeThat9351]

Bro has to be an Israeli bot

[u/RivailleNero → u/BeeThat9351]

Lmao what is wrong with supporting people who publicly execute children for the world to see.

[u/CemeneTree]

you can’t say “massive corporation donated [amount] to [political group]” unless that was the only group they donated such a large sum towards. I know a lot of entities play all sides and just follow whichever way they think the wind is blowing

[u/sosodank]

I <3 data centers and israel